Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas in the Kingdom

I still haven't figured out Christmas away
from my family. The day is pretty miserable without the usual trappings of the
tree and my brothers and my parents and my relatives. My co-workers have been
wanting to watch Christmas movies and sing Christmas carols, but I just can't
get into it. I always agree to do these things with them, and then at the last
moment, say, you know what, let's not. I don't want to be reminded of what I'm
missing, honestly. Some people have chosen not to come in today, but I can be
miserable at work just as easy as I can be miserable at home so there's no
point.

All day, people have been creeping around the
office to whisper "Merry Christmas" in each other's ears, afraid to
say it too loud.

I did go to a lovely party yesterday at one
of the lead teacher's houses. It was so nice to be somewhere that felt like a
home, with children and a Christmas tree and a turkey dinner. It made me
alternate between being very sad and being very comfortable.

We have several parties planned – on the down
low, you understand – but I don't know if I will be up for them.

Blog about the five months I spent in India, traveling and volunteering at All Bengal Women's Union: Oh India!

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Quotes

"You can't just read the guide book. You've got to throw yourself in, eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers - or is that just me? Stop asking questions. Go and do it!"--Doctor Who

“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing.”-- Herman Melville

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”--Lao Tzu

"I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”--Bill Bryson

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” Mary Ann Radmacher